Copyright Screen Rant
Few franchises know how to build hype like Star Wars does. For nearly five decades, Lucasfilm has very much mastered the art of the teaser and trailer, generating massive excitement and creating major touchstones in pop culture history. From vintage teasers that introduced a galaxy far, far away for the very first time to more modern trailers offering first looks at revitalizing the franchise with a brand-new trilogy, the release of a new Star Wars trailer is often a cultural event in its own right. Here are the ten best Star Wars trailers, ranked from great to unforgettable. Star Wars: A New Hope (Teaser, 1977) The Star Wars trailer that started it all has to be included in this list. Featuring grainy vintage shots of space and starfighters, narration promised “a spectacle light-years ahead of its time.” Having zero nostalgia to bank on, this first Star Wars teaser sold mystery and a brand-new galaxy to be explored, effectively kick-starting the cultural phenomenon we know today. While old, the trailer is without question revolutionary, as it can very much be considered the dawn of the major blockbuster marketing we see today. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Teaser, 2022) The first teaser for 2022's Obi-Wan Kenobi generated massive amounts of hype, confirming the return of Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi after 17 years, while also giving us just a hint of Darth Vader's iconic breathing at the very end of the footage, promising the Dark Lord of the Sith's return as well. Featuring a blend of John Williams' Duel of the Fates and Battle of the Heroes, this first Obi-Wan Kenobi teaser sold itself as the bridge between the prequels and the original trilogy of Star Wars films. The Clone Wars (Final Season Trailer, 2020) After years of uncertainty about whether The Clone Wars would ever get a proper final season, the first trailer for The Clone Wars season 7 was all kinds of exciting, especially with its opening shots of clone trooper helmets and dialogue from past Clone Wars seasons, confirming its status as a culminating chapter for the beloved animated series. Rather than just being a trailer for a new Star Wars series, this was a full resurrection of an era long thought to have been buried. Fans who had grown up with The Clone Wars suddenly realized they were getting the goodbye they absolutely deserved. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Teaser Trailer, 2016) Very few Star Wars movies in the Disney era compare to Rogue One, and the same goes for the movie's first teaser. Rogue One's first teaser is all kinds of intense, featuring ongoing alarms from the Death Star more than any actual trailer music. As a result, the tension is very much felt throughout this teaser as the footage reveals new characters and the high stakes surrounding the mission to secure the Death Star plans ahead of A New Hope. Devoid of Jedi or lightsabers, this first teaser proved what a standalone Star Wars movie could be beyond the primary Skywalker saga, a darker and grittier war movie about the true cost of Rebellion (a tone and theme the critically acclaimed Andor series continued with great success). The Mandalorian (Season 1 Trailer, 2019) The very first live-action Star Wars show debuting the New Republic Era on screen for the very first time, the release of The Mandalorian season 1's first trailer was a historic touchpoint for the fandom. At the time, no one really knew what to expect from live-action Star Wars television. What fans got were old stormtrooper helmets on spikes, spaghetti Western-inspired tones, and the exciting promise of a mysterious new Mandalorian antihero played by a completely masked Pedro Pascal. Looking back at this first trailer, it's quite remarkable to see how Din Djarin has very much become a core pillar of the modern-day Star Wars franchise, especially with The Mandalorian & Grogu movie set to release next year after three seasons of the Disney+ series. The Phantom Menace (Trailer, 1998) For countless Star Wars fans, the first trailer for The Phantom Menace was the trailer of a lifetime, marking the triumphant return of Star Wars to theaters after 16 years. Featuring brand-new characters, Jedi Knights, double-bladed lightsabers, new space battles, podraces, and more, the trailer for the first prequel movie was a major moment for pop culture and cinema in general. At the time, the Internet was still fairly new, and online footage was hard to come by. The result was countless fans reportedly paying full-price tickets for 1998's Meet Joe Black just to watch The Phantom Menace trailer (and promptly leaving the theater once the trailer ended). Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Teaser #1, 2014) In the same vein, the first teaser for The Force Awakens generated similar amounts of hype in 2014, promising the start of a brand-new sequel trilogy 10 years after the end of the prequels and over 30 years since the original trilogy. Having been cited as one of the best Star Wars teaser trailers of all time, the footage and dialogue is limited, though what's shown allowed audience imaginations to run wild with the possibility of a new trilogy before culminating with the classic John Williams' Star Wars theme as The Millennium Falcon soars through the sky in a dogfight with TIE Fighters, the perfect blend of fresh and familiar. Battlefront II (Official Gameplay Trailer, 2017) Although the initial launch of the game itself was fraught with issues and backlash from gamers, EA's Battlefront II nevertheless has one of the very best Star Wars trailers of all time. Featuring sequences and footage from all three major eras of the franchise, the trailer is a true love letter to the action and battle scenes across the entire Skywalker saga. The fact that the trailer opened with First Order troopers, followed by Imperial Stormtroopers, and finally Republic clones is absolutely brilliant. Likewise, the trailer also features a truly epic rendition of Duel of the Fates with synchronized blaserfire. Although it's been 8 years since the game's release, I defy anyone to watch this trailer and not want to pick up the game again. Likewise, it's no wonder that there have been Battlefront fan campaigns as recently as this year calling for EA to make a third game. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Teaser #2, 2015) Much like the first teaser for The Force Awakens, the second teaser accomplished so much with very little, pulling the heartstrings of fans and the legacy of the franchise to great effect. This time around, reworked dialogue from Luke Skywalker can be heard from Return of the Jedi can be heard with a key added line: "The Force is strong in my family...My father has it. I have it. My sister has it. You have that power, too." Featuring the charred remains of Darth Vader's helmet, the series of exciting action shots ends with a final shot of Harrison Ford back as Han Solo alongside Chewbacca: "Chewie, we're home..." The emotional weight of the entire teaser is palpable even today, and it's no wonder that there were numerous reports of grown adults crying by the teaser's end. Revenge of the Sith (Teaser #1, 2004) While the aforementioned Star Wars trailers are all truly incredible in their own way, the very best has to be the first teaser for 2005's Revenge of the Sith. Narrated by Alec Guinness’ Obi-Wan from A New Hope, discussing the origins of Darth Vader and his tragic corruption to the dark side, the trailer promised what was believed to have been the end of the entire Skywalker saga. The entire tone is incredibly dark and operatic, featuring multiple shots from the new movie intercut with Darth Vader rising. Without question, the entire Revenge of the Sith teaser perfectly communicated that the dark destiny of Anakin Skywalker would finally be fulfilled.
